MHA's Toward Better Health Newsletter

May 12, 2019

Saying Thank You

Today marks the start of National Hospital Week. We at MHA want to share our appreciation for all of you – the more than 100,000 people who advance the health and well-being of 6 million Marylanders.

This year’s theme, “Celebrating Healing and Hope,” is fitting as it recognizes the commitment of everyone across our state who works to ensure that patients receive the best quality and most compassionate care. Your teams deserve recognition year-round, of course. But during this dedicated week there are a few ways to show gratitude:

Join a Twitter chat hosted by the American Hospital Association on May 16
Download a National Hospital Week digital toolkit and social media images from AHA
Use the #MyHospital hashtag in your promotions online and in print
Be a part of AHA’s My Hospital digital campaign to celebrate the contributions your hospital brings to the community
Tag @MarylandHospitalAssociation on Facebook or @mhaonline on Twitter. We’ll help spread the word about all the good work your hospitals and health systems are doing.

We look forward to celebrating you – the people of our hospitals and health systems that Marylanders rely on during some of the most challenging moments in our lives.

Bob Atlas

President & CEO

FINANCE

Draft FY2020 Update Proposed to HSCRC

Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) staff recommend a total update of 3.25% per capita for global budget hospitals and 2.46% for those not under global budgets. HSCRC commissioners received the fiscal year 2020 draft recommendations during their monthly public meeting Wednesday. Additional details from the meeting are summarized in this month’s edition of Newsbreak .

On behalf of the hospital field, MHA will submit a comment letter to the commission early this week. For additional information, please contact Brett McCone, bmccone@mhaonline.org , or Mike Robbins, mrobbins@mhaonline.org .

340B Hospitals Asked to Sign Onto Good Stewardship Principles-Support Our Congressional Champions

Maryland’s 340B hospitals have an opportunity to sign onto a set of principles to help guide good stewardship of the program. The principles were released in September by the American Hospital Association. The effort is intended to strengthen the program by increasing transparency while helping 340B hospitals better communicate its immense value for vulnerable patients and communities. If your organization has not done so yet, please sign up your 340B hospitals. For details, contact Brett McCone , MHA’s Senior Vice President of Health Care Payment.

QUALITY & SAFETY

Are You Looking to Elevate Patient Experience?

The Maryland Hospital Association is hosting a Patient Experience Shared Learnings Conference aimed at re-energizing your teams and sharing different approaches to improve patient experience. Carrie Brady, a nationally recognized Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) expert, will offer her insights, and attendees also will learn about key takeaways from MHA’s Patient Experience Peer-to-Peer Pilot program. The conference will be held on May 17, from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., at BWI Marriott. Patient experience leads interested in attending can register here .

Improving Care Delivery For Mothers

T he Maternal and Child Health Bureau, of the state Department of Health, also has applied for a grant from the Centers for Disease Control. The Maryland Hospital Association wrote a letter in support the bureau’s application for the grant, which would allow the state and enhance and expand efforts to improve maternal health.

There also are a variety of resources and tools available to help support maternal health outcomes:

HRSA Public Health Webinar Series – Maternal Mortality: This webinar will help participants understand federal projects, clinical research, and available resources to improve maternal mortality rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the Illinois Department of Public Health, will discuss their work to create or improve Maternal Mortality Reviews. The webinar is May 15 at noon. Register here.

Better Maternal Outcomes Rapid Improvement Network: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement is hosting a free, six-month initiative focused on improving maternal outcomes and respectful care. Participating organizations from across the US will learn how to spread best practices and protocols through webinars, drop-in virtual coaching and networking with other providers, organizations, and communities navigating similar work. Registration is open and the initiative begins May 22. Register here.

CDC Releases Measles Outbreak Toolkit

As Maryland’s hospitals continue their proactive response to a recent uptick in reported cases of measles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering a toolkit to help health care providers. The kit includes data, a poster and other resources designed to aid in discussing measles and the measles vaccine with parents — as most of the reported cases are of unvaccinated children. The CDC’s measles experts also are hosting a call May 21 with more information.

ADVOCACY

Medicare Beneficiaries Targeted in New Scam

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh is warning consumers to be suspicious of representatives of companies that offer free DNA testing to check for cancer. The DNA testing scam is a new twist used by scammers to trick people into giving away their health insurance information to commit identity theft and fraud. Scammers are targeting Medicare beneficiaries with phone calls and by visiting health fairs, assisted living homes, and senior events. Report incidents involving this scam to the Health Education and Advocacy Unit by calling 410-528-1840.

PROVIDER ALIGNMENT

Summit to Focus On Leveraging Data To Succeed Under Total Cost of Care

The Beacon Institute’s 2019 Leadership Summit will focus on succeeding with data management within the Total Cost of Care Model. The Maryland Hospital Association is one of the leading partners for the event, June 24 at 9 a.m. at Turf Valley’s conference center in Ellicott City, along with the Maryland National Capital Homecare Association and the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients. MHA President & CEO Bob Atlas will deliver the keynote address. The seventh annual event will take a closer look at how leveraging generated data is a vital part of the success of an institution as well as the success of care. More information and registration details can be found here .

ACCESS

Insurers Propose 2020 Insurance Premium Rates

The Maryland Insurance Administration released proposed 2020 insurance premium rate updates for the individual and small group markets. For the individual market plans, the requests range from a 9.1% decrease to a 3.9% increase in premiums. Insurers have requested increases for all of the small group market plans requests. The proposed increases range from 0.6% to 15.5%. The Insurance Administration is seeking public comment as it reviews the requests. MHA will participate in the comment process, analyzing the premium rate requests, and all available information on out of pocket costs and plan design. A stakeholder hearing will be held on July 16 at the Maryland Administration. MHA Contact: Maansi Raswant , Vice President

WORKFORCE

Maryland Primary Care Program 2020 Program Year Opens

The 2020 Program Year of the Maryland Primary Care Program (MDPCP) is open, the Maryland Department of Health announced Friday. The online application portals for practices and Care Transformation Organizations are available through June 28 . For details review the 2019 Request for Applications (RFA) . For questions, contact the State Program Management Office at mdh.pcmodel@maryland.gov or CMS at MarylandModel@cms.hhs.gov .

MEMBER NEWS

BBJ Hosts Symposium on Health Care For the 21st Century

The Maryland Hospital Association is proud to sponsor a Baltimore Business Journal symposium May 21 exploring the health care industry's evolving business model amid dramatic changes in technology and patient care. Find out what the future holds for health care, and what it means for your business. Some top health care executives will discuss:

Infrastructure: Why hospitals across the state are plotting major renovations and building projects, and what patients expect when they walk into a hospital today
Technology: How new tools and technologies, like surgical robots and telemedicine, are reshaping the delivery of care
Cost of care: Why hospitals are shifting their thinking to focus more on keeping people out of the ER

Details and registration information can be found here .

Congratulations to Maryland's Health Care Heroes

Congratulations to our members who were named The Daily Record’s 2019 Health Care Heroes, honoring organizations and individuals who have made an impact on the quality of health care within our state. MHA is proud to be the event partner for this year’s event, which is June 27. A full list of winners can be found here .